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Lamiaris · **01-02-2017, 01:15 PM**

Hi there! Just a derpy little RPer here with a bit of a conundrum..

I can't decide on a character concept!
One day, I wanted Lami to be just a .. glamoured moogle or something.
Before that, I wanted her to be some sort of Garlean experiment involving magitek. But now I just can't decide and I need some advice Sad

Â

I do have one detail clarified about her though; her job, which is something akin to ehh.... FF3 (Japan's FF1) Sage, or soemthing like the FFXI's iteration of scholar..

Kilieit · **01-02-2017, 01:26 PM**

While those character concepts initially sound extremely different from each other, I notice an immediate common theme: someone who's inherently an "outsider". They have an extremely different origin than most of the people around them, so they find it hard to fit in or to understand common societal grounds that others see as universal. It affords them a unique perspective on society, while simultaneously carrying the drawback that if their origin was revealed, they might be attacked for it, and so they have to keep a huge aspect of themself a secret.

Here's what I'm going to ask you: what is it that appeals to you about this character archetype? Like, what is it that makes it fun to you? What kind of stories is it that it opens up which you're interested in?

Once you figure that out, you can start processing what backstory would make the exact aspect you're interested in the focus. It might end up being something a little simpler ("a non-tribal Miqo'te" or - like my main - "a cult survivor", for example), or it might be something along the lines of where you're already at (similar ideas I've also seen are stuff like "a glamoured Sylph", "an Allagan clone").

But once you know a little clearer what you're aiming for, it might be easier to point yourself in the right direction. :D

Maia · **01-02-2017, 01:42 PM**

I think everyone approaches the creation of a "character concept" a bit differently, but I'll still relay how I do it in the hopes that it might help!

The starting point I use in creating a new character is their personality. This seems like the most important thing to me, as it will influence every IC interaction on a day-to-day basis. Finding a personality type that I would sincerely enjoy playing is generally the first brick I put down in creating a character's core foundation. Do I want to play someone upbeat and bubbly? Stoic and dour? Dark and creepy? Vain but secretly fragile? It's okay to be inspired by a beloved character from a show or game you like, as long as you still infuse the idea with plenty of your own original flare.

Once I establish what personality I'd like to indefinitely represent/explore on a daily basis, then I build on it. Why is this new character so cheerful/stoic/dark/vain/etc.? Does it have to do with their backstory, or their future goals?

Again, a character's backstory will commonly not be brought up through the course of natural RP, so I put that secondary to who a character currently -is-. If you can figure out a personality concept you think you'd really enjoy playing, then you'll probably have fun every time you go IC (or it will at least help to maximize fun.) If a character is just legit fun for you to play, then there may not be as much indecisiveness over other details.

And the extra nice thing is that personalities tend to exist on a spectrum, so even if a character is -generally- upbeat/stoic/angsty, they can flex away from that at any given point based on outside stimulus. It's a natural evolution in some cases, and it keeps things from getting too stale.

Of course, again, this is just a starting off point for building a character concept. After laying these first few quirks and personality "bricks," the following step is to fill in other details like backstory, character goals, current living situation, other important people that influenced your character along the way, etc.

As mentioned, everyone is different, but this is a method that works for me!

Edit: As Kilieit mentioned above, it may just be a matter of exploring the things that make -you- feel passionate about a particular character concept. If you feel passionate and invested in your concept, then the indecisiveness will probably fall aside.

Thunderbolt300 · **01-02-2017, 01:46 PM**

About all I can say here is that personality, quirks, hobbies, and even someone's employment, defines a character concept far more strongly than any race or in-game class/job. The acid test for characters is, if you remove the race or class/job, is the character still a character? Does it hold up?

Just some food for thought!

GentleGiraffe · **01-02-2017, 02:26 PM**

(01-02-2017, 01:46 PM)Thunderbolt300 Wrote: About all I can say here is that personality, quirks, hobbies, and even someone's employment, defines a character concept far more strongly than any race or in-game class/job. The acid test for characters is, if you remove the race or class/job, is the character still a character? Does it hold up?

Just some food for thought!

This is very important, I think, and it's something I've struggled with when I started roleplaying (still do, to an extent).Â

I would create characters that were defined by a sole unique trait - "this one is a Seer, that one is a clone" - and eventually, when the novelty of it wore off, I'd get bored of the character and make another one. It was also very hard to create any meaninful connections because in the end there is only so much you can do when your only conversation point is how special you are.

My Dungeon Master once told me that the very first step in creating a character is figuring out what is it they want, why they want it, and what they are willing to do to achieve it. I think this is very good starting point.

Reylin · **01-02-2017, 02:38 PM**

Alright so, a Garlean experiment on a moogle that gave them magitek cyborg enhancements including a cloaking field that mimics the appearance and feel of a human type person!Â

Kidding aside, it happens to lots of people.Â Start with one idea, another one that might be neater or more interesting to you comes in, then another, ect ect.Â Like the others said, it's not so much the concepts or things that happen to the character as it is the base, solid core, foundation of the character itself.

Just like people, you take away your job, you're still you.. you're a more stressed and slightly poorer version, but you all the same.Â The thing with creating a past for a character is, just like us, it doesn't have to be just about one thing.Â No one person is made up a single event in their life but a collection of them.Â So if you come up with something else later, just.. find some place it fits in the time line if you really want it to exist and tweek and nudge from there.

I always have an idea of past history for my character in my head and add to it as RP and idea's come up that make sense.Â Especially for ADHD typesÂ of people.

There's nothing wrong with it really, but one thing that does help keep it solid, is having RP'd with others that know of it.Â Once it's out there, retconning it for a new idea just isn't something you'd want to do so it helps you keep with it and then, just add more later.

Ellmida · **01-02-2017, 03:22 PM**

I think everyone's pretty much said it perfectly so there's not a lot I have to add and may get a little beyond what answers you are looking for. Also feel free to disagree, these are opinions that I have developed overtime and results may vary.

I think with both your concepts you may be too focused on what the character is and not as focused on how you plan to play the character, this could significantly help with yourÂ decision.

When it comes to character creation I try to go for the K.I.S.S. method because putting too much focus on what you want the character to be can sacrifice playability. In books and games you're creating something that's static to that reality, you are moving to an ending that you planned out, what you throw at the character is something you know fits with the concept.Â Because role play is more fluid and depends on other player contributions it's important to have a concept that can roll a little with the punches, focusing too much on one static idea can become nigh unplayable over time when you have exhausted the number of stories you can tell or the concepts you designed no longer make sense, It literally becomes evolve or die.

Something that has worked really well for me is once I come up with a concept I immediately try to break it, basically poking as many holes as possible before I start playing and see if the character can survive beyond the original idea.

Issues sticking with a concept?

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